Research Year
About the Six-Year Research Track
The Columbia Orthopedic residency 6-year research track is designed for one resident per year to explore their research passion – whether that involves basic science, translational, or clinical research – under the mentorship of Professor Stavros Thomopoulos, PhD, director of the Carroll Laboratories for Orthopedic Surgery. The Carroll Labs include world-class scientists and resources, funded by multiple NIH R01 grants, with facilities for biomechanics, advanced imaging, molecular biology, cell and tissue culture, histology, animal and microsurgery, and cadaveric testing.
The laboratories focus on a wide range of clinical problems, including musculoskeletal soft tissue regeneration, the development and pathophysiology of the rotator cuff, intervertebral disc degeneration, joint biomechanics, and various animal models of injury and disease. The lab also collaborates with professors and physicians in the departments of Biomedical Engineering, Rehabilitation Medicine, Radiology, Microbiology, and Pathology. The 6-year research resident is required to choose a focus from one of the clinical sub-specialties and works closely with an additional mentor throughout the research term.
Meet the Research Track Residents
Varun Arvind, MD, PhD
- Residency Class of 2029
Medical School: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Undergraduate: Rutgers University
Why did you choose Columbia Orthopedics?
There are many strong orthopedic surgery programs across the country, and it can be difficult to identify the right program where each person will thrive. During my sub-internship rotations, I came to realize what qualities were important for me to succeed. I wanted a program with residents that were close and eager to help each other. It was important for me that attendings took an active interest in resident education and mentorship. Lastly, I wanted a place that would push me to grow. I chose Columbia Orthopedics because the people and culture of this program strive to excel in these areas. There is an unrivaled collegiality amongst residents of all years and attendings that adds a rich layer of community and mentorship to the program. Columbia Orthopedics also has clinical excellence in each major orthopedic subspecialty providing broad opportunities no matter which subspecialty I choose to pursue. Finally, as someone interested in basic science and academia, the six-year research track with the opportunity to perform research in the Carroll Laboratories is a dream for anyone interested in performing real basic science and clinical research.
What is your favorite bone?
humerus
Where are you from?
Piscataway, NJ
Favorite activity outside of work?
hiking, trying new restaurants, reading
Dream concert (even if band not together or alive)?
the old Kanye
Best playlist for the OR?
EDM/ pop/ today's hits
Favorite night float snack?
trail mix
Beth Ashinsky, MD, PhD
- Residency Class of 2028
Medical School: Drexel University College of Medicine
Undergraduate: Carleton CollegeWhy did you choose Columbia Orthopedics?
After finishing my PhD, I realized my future goals of becoming an orthopaedic surgeon-scientist. With that in mind, I targeted my residency search towards programs that offered a 6-year research track with a focus on basic and translational research. I also wanted to join an environment that would enable me to foster my own independent research program upon graduating. After several discussions with Drs. Thomopoulous, Chahine and Huang, I knew that the mentorship and resources at the Carroll Laboratories would provide me with just that. Beyond the research component, I immediately felt at home during the Columbia interview process; Every single member of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery was enthusiastic and invested in helping me achieve my training goals. The leadership in this program is unparalleled and truly stems from the dedication of Drs. Levine, Jobin and Neuwirth to educating and training the highest-quality physicians and surgeons. As such, the residents themselves take pride in mentoring one another to ensure that everyone is performing to their fullest potential. For these reasons, I decided to rank Columbia #1 and could not be more excited for the next 6 years!
What is your favorite bone?
Fibula
Where are you from?
Chappaqua, NY
Favorite activity outside of work?
Triathlon
Dream concert (even if band not together or alive)?
Fleetwood Mac
Best playlist for the OR?
Hip Hop BBQ or The Black Crowes, depending on the mood
Favorite night float snack?
Greek yogurt with berries, peanut butter + granola
Sohil Desai, MD
- Residency Class of 2027
Medical School: University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
Undergraduate: University of MiamiWhy did you choose Columbia Orthopedics?
Throughout the residency search process, I consistently found myself searching for one aspect above all else: a program with a familial atmosphere, where everyone appreciates the opportunity to work hard together towards common goals. My experiences with Columbia residents throughout the application cycle made it impossible to ignore the incredibly hard-working yet down-to-earth and supportive environment at this program. Having now completed the research component of the COR 6-year track, I can say with confidence that this is the perfect training environment.
There is no shortage of opportunity for career development, starting from the very top with tireless mentorship and advocacy from Dr. Levine and the faculty. The research productivity and fellowship match speak for themselves, but less evident are the countless opportunities to network with word class alumni and visiting professors during grand rounds, visiting professor dinners, and our “Breakfast/Dinner with the Chairman” series.
The surgical education not just from field-leading surgeons, but senior residents who will themselves be leaders in orthopedics, sets every junior resident up with a clear path to clinical excellence. Further, the resources available here, including a bioskills lab, arthroscopy lab, and a cutting edge biomechanics lab for cadaveric research allow limitless opportunities for growth.
But as was my initial draw towards this program, the culture at Columbia is what makes this program truly unique. The personality, collegiality, and excellence of the people here at Columbia are what make this the best training environment I could ask for.
What is your favorite bone?
Humerus
Where are you from?
Saint Louis, MO
Favorite activity outside of work?
Golf
Dream concert (even if band not together or alive)?
Eagles
Best playlist for the OR?
Miles Davis
Favorite night float snack?
Apples and peanut butter
William Crockatt, MD
- Residency Class of 2026
Medical School: Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
Undergraduate: Dartmouth CollegeWhy did you choose Columbia Orthopedics?
The people - one of my closest faculty mentors, Dr. Kate Nellans, completed her residency training at Columbia and always spoke highly of her time here. From the moment I started my away rotation at Columbia, I recognized the camaraderie and collegiality of the residents and instantly felt like a member of the team. I also appreciated the mentorship and dedication to resident education from each of the faculty members, and I knew that this was the place I wanted to train. I am excited to work with the world class faculty across each of the orthopedic subspecialties, explore the endless opportunities for research, and have the chance to live and work in NYC for my residency training as part of Columbia Orthopedics!
What is your favorite bone?
Femur
What is the best place you have traveled?
Santorini, Greece
Where are you from?
Purdys, NY
Favorite restaurant in NYC / restaurant you can’t wait to try … someday!
Yuca Bar
Favorite activity outside of work?
Trying new restaurants and breweries around NYC, cooking/baking, bowling
Dream concert (even if the band is no longer together or alive)?
Arkells
Best playlist in the OR?
2000s Alternative
Favorite night float snack?
Doritos Cool Ranch
Andrew J. Luzzi, MD
- Residency Class of 2025
Medical School: Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Undergraduate: Cornell University
Why did you choose Columbia Orthopedics?
Many factors contributed to my decision to pursue orthopedic surgery residency at Columbia. Columbia Orthopedics is an exceptionally tight-knit and collaborative program, turning resident education and the delivery of healthcare into a team effort. The intimate nature of the program facilitates the development of trust between residents and attendings, which is crucial to the progressive increase in operative autonomy necessary for effective surgical training. Furthermore, the leadership at Columbia is unparalleled. Drs. Levine, Jobin, and Neuwirth are incredibly invested in the program and dedicate themselves to the continued improvement of resident education.
The opportunity to participate in a 6-year research track was also a strong draw to the program. While several programs offer this type of opportunity, I found numerous aspects of the research track offered by Columbia to be exceptionally alluring. As a participant in the 6-year research track, I spent the year prior to residency performing both basic science and clinical research. I believe that this arrangement, in contrast to one in which a research year is taken during residency, is ideal. This structure has enabled me to lay the groundwork for projects before starting residency, thereby maximizing the amount of time I have to do meaningful work, while allowing my surgical training to go uninterrupted. Additionally, I have had the privilege of being a mentee of Dr. Thomopoulos, an acclaimed scientist who is an expert in rotator cuff postnatal development, healing, biomechanics, and tissue engineering.
Lastly, of all of the positive aspects of Columbia Orthopedics I found the quality of people most significant. They are not only extremely capable, but also authentic and compassionate – the type of people who I would want as co-residents, teachers, and surgeons.
What is your favorite bone?
Scapula
What's the best place you have traveled?
Florence, Italy
Where are you from?
Litchfield, Connecticut
Favorite restaurant in NYC?
John’s
Favorite activity outside of work?
Exercising and reading
Dream concert (even if band not together or alive)?
Frank Sinatra
Best playlist for the OR?
Two Friends
Favorite night float snack?
Pizza
Lynn Ann Forrester, MD
- Residency Class of 2024
- Inaugural 6-Year Research Resident
Fellowship: Hand Fellowship, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS)
Medical School: New York University School of Medicine
Undergraduate: Brown UniversityWhy did you choose Columbia Orthopedics?
I chose Columbia Orthopedics because of the residency program’s culture, high quality teaching, and outstanding research opportunities. I did not rotate at Columbia. However, within minutes of walking into the interview dinner, I felt completely at ease with the other residents. The residents clearly enjoyed spending time with each other outside of the hospital. Then, on interview day, I was impressed by the residents’ insatiable intellectual curiosity and overall enthusiasm for their work. Even on interview day, a day off from clinical duties for many of them, the residents were discussing new reduction maneuvers they had tried that week or sharing tips on how to use a new TKA system. Their passion for orthopedic surgery and desire to achieve excellence both as surgeons and physicians was palpable.
I was also impressed by the residents’ and attendings’ devotion to teaching. Even within the few hours I spent with the faculty on interview day, it was apparent that they all enjoyed teaching residents and medical students. All of the faculty were enthusiastically responsive to my questions about their recent interesting cases and active research projects. Now as a junior resident, I continue to learn from my attendings on a daily basis; no matter what time of day or night it is, each time we discuss a new consult or an OR case, Columbia attendings are always ready to share tips about how to troubleshoot during a case or discuss active relevant research in an effort to help me grow as an orthopedic surgeon.
Finally, one of the most significant reasons why I chose Columbia was the outstanding research opportunities made available to residents. The Columbia 6-year research track is unique when compared to other research tracks because on your first day, you are asked “what research questions do you want to answer?” At many other programs, you are often placed in a lab position or clinical research position without being given much autonomy or choice over what you will research. At Columbia, you are given the time and mentoring support to think of questions you want to answer about orthopedics, and then are given the resources to answer them.
You are also given complete control over whether you choose to pursue basic science, translational or clinical research. I was most interested in pursuing basic science and translational research, so I worked with my mentors to put together a successful OREF grant application for my basic science project during my first few months at Columbia. Then, to complete my project, I collaborated with scientists across multiple departments both at the medical center and the undergraduate campus. The collaborative mentality at Columbia is unique, and highly conducive to producing singularly innovative research. Thanks to Columbia’s collegial academic environment, over the course of my research year and my first few years at Columbia, I have been able to publish basic science, translational and clinical research projects on a wide range of topics, all focused on significantly improving the clinical practice of orthopedic surgery.
I chose Columbia and would choose Columbia again and again because I was given the intellectual freedom and support to pursue my research interests. I plan to continue to use the incredible resources at Columbia to build my body of research with the intent of becoming an independently-funded clinician-scientist in the future.
What is your favorite bone?
Scapula
What's the best place you have traveled?
Porto, Portugal
Where are you from?
Pound Ridge, NY
Favorite restaurant in NYC?
Mighty Quinn's BBQ
Favorite activity outside of work?
Running, not killing my plants
Dream concert (even if band not together or alive)?
John Legend feat. Notorious RBG
Best Pandora station for the OR?
Francis and the Lights
Favorite night float snack?
Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and $1 pizza
